Johnson Controls Teams With Special Olympics For Winning Experience
14 July 1999
Johnson Controls Teams With Special Olympics For Winning Experience
Integrated Facility Management Employees' Volunteer Efforts Help World Games
Soar
RALEIGH-DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 14 -- More than 40
Johnson Controls employees spent hundreds of hours ensuring the success of the
recent 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in the Raleigh-Durham and
Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. More than 7,000 athletes from 150
countries competed at the games, the largest sporting event in the world this
year. Special Olympics provides sports training and competition for
individuals with mental retardation.
Johnson Controls volunteers provided major support for what has been
described as the largest peacetime airlift in history.
Mark McGinn, a supervisor with Johnson Controls Integrated Facility
Management in North Carolina, coordinated volunteers supporting the Citation
Special Olympics Airlift. More than 270 inbound flights carried 2,000 athletes
and coaches from across the United States. Volunteers welcomed the arriving
participants on June 25, assisting with baggage and ground transportation and
with moving planes to the refueling and refitting station.
"With so many people and resources all working together in a volunteer
effort, it was one of the most incredible operations I've ever seen," said
McGinn, who has a background in aviation and airport operations. "There was a
tremendous amount of coordination, cooperation and support involved. It was
wonderful to be a part of it."
On July 5, volunteers supported the departure of athletes and other
participants in a similar way, but in the grips of airport ramp temperatures
of about 135 degrees F.
The volunteer efforts didn't begin and end at the airport. Months of
planning and coordination went into ensuring a smooth operation during the
event.
Michael VanRiper, an audio/visual technician for Johnson Controls, handled
arrangements for more than 1,000 members of the international press, including
assigning photo positions and preparing and staffing the press boxes for the
opening and closing ceremonies. His work began months before the ceremonies,
and he recruited about 20 others to help him.
"It was like taking on a second full-time job," VanRiper said. "But it
was a great experience and lots of fun to get involved in an event of that
magnitude."
Volunteers from Johnson Controls audio/visual services, headed by Wes
Stewart, provided assistance with still photography and video. Others helped
with administrative functions, logistics and various activities that were
essential to the success of the games.
"We're extremely proud of the efforts of all the volunteers involved in
this very worthwhile event," said Mike Lamach, vice president and general
manager of Johnson Controls Integrated Facility Management, Commercial North
America. "We're committed to supporting the community involvement of our
people and helping to make the environment where we live and work better for
everyone."
As the world's largest provider of integrated facility management
services, Johnson Controls manages more than one billion square feet of real
estate and has 40 years of facility management experience. It provides
facility management and consulting services for many Fortune 500 companies.
Johnson Controls, Inc. , with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis.,
is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and
control. Through its Automotive Systems Group, it supplies seating systems,
interior systems and batteries. The Controls Group serves the non-residential
buildings market with control systems and services, and integrated facility
management. Founded in 1885, Johnson Controls operates from more than 500
locations around the world. Johnson Controls securities (ticker symbol: JCI)
are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its 1998 sales totaled
US$12.6 billion.